Our Fathers (2005) (TV)

Director:

Dan Curtis

Writers (WGA):

David France (book)
Thomas Michael Donnelly (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 May 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The catholic church in an age of scandal.

Plot:

A dramatized account of the hidden sexual abuse and scandal that shook the foundation of the Catholic Church, and the characters, events, and policies that brought the abuse and scandal into existence.

Plot Keywords:

Cardinal | Scandal | Church | Priest | Catholic Church

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Ted Danson	...	Mitchell Garabedian
Christopher Plummer	...	Cardinal Bernard Law
Brian Dennehy	...	Father Dominic Spagnolia
Daniel Baldwin	...	Angelo DeFranco
Ellen Burstyn	...	Mary Ryan
Kenneth Welsh	...	Bishop Murphy
Will Lyman	...	Wilson Rogers Jr.
Wayne Best	...	Father Doyle
Colin Fox	...	Daniel Kibbe
James Oliver	...	Patrick McSorley
Jan Rubes	...	Pope John Paul
Steven Shaw	...	John J. Geoghan
Damien Atkins	...	Young Geoghan
Hugh Thompson	...	Tom Blanchette
Aidan Devine	...	Bernie McDaid
Chris Bauer	...	Olan Horne
Thomas Mitchell	...	Gary Bergeron
Donald Ewer	...	Ordination Cardinal
Julian Christopher	...	Bishop Gregory
Peter MacNeill	...	Older Spags' Friend Billy
David Sparrow	...	Father Connelly
Kathleen Laskey	...	Shauna Tannenbaum
Philip Williams	...	Robbie Robinson
Joseph Ziegler	...	Jim Muller
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	Jack Tannen
Martin Doyle	...	George Flynn
Conrad Bergschneider	...	Angelo's Father
Lucy Filippone	...	Angelo's Mother
Nikolas Lozzi	...	Angelo (age 13)
Billy Lister	...	Angelo's Brother Johnny
Waneta Storms	...	Angelo's Wife
Chris Wiggins	...	Angelo's Old Priest
Brian Paul	...	Judge
Leah Pinsent	...	Marge Magnus
Colleen Williams	...	Elderly Woman
Hugh Dillon	...	Johnny DeFranco
Jessica Greco	...	Judy
Ned Vukovic	...	Arch Deacon
Munroe Chambers	...	Young Patrick McSorley
Alon Nashman	...	Martin Baron
Jude Coffey	...	Globe Editor
Richard Greenblatt	...	Globe Editor
Stephen Bogaert	...	Globe Editor
Victoria Snow	...	Sacha Pfeiffer
Deborah Grover	...	Judge Sweeney
Glen Gaston	...	Bailiff
Daisy White	...	Law's Housekeeper
Bill Lake	...	Fire Chief Wiliams
Amy Price-Francis	...	Donna Morrissey
Reg Dreger	...	Bishop
Mairtin O'Carrigan	...	Bishop
Chris Ratz	...	Teen Punks
Adrian Roberto	...	Teen Punks
Scott Fink	...	Young Father Birmingham
Travis Ryder	...	Tom Blanchette (Age 12)
Roman Podhora	...	Bartender
James Kall	...	Geoghan's Male Lawyer
Dan Petronijevic	...	Young Spags (as Daniel Petronijevic)
Jeff White	...	Gary Cohen
Paul Hubbard	...	Roderick MacLeish Jr.
Rory O'Shea	...	Male Reporter
Burke Lawrence	...	Male Reporter
Abby Zotz	...	Woman
Donald Saunders	...	Old Man
Cedric Smith	...	The Pope's Cardinal
Ric Reid	...	American Cardinal
Angelo Pedari	...	Italian Reporter
Genadijs Dolganovs	...	Polish Reporter (as Genadjis Dolganovs)
Paul Fauteux	...	Vito (as Paul Fateux)
Garen Boyajian	...	Vito's Brother
Joan Massiah	...	Residence Nun
Christopher Bolton	...	John
Michael Rhoades	...	Another Man
Mary Pitt	...	Sister
Gordon Jocelyn	...	Elderly Man
Alec Stockwell	...	Dying Birmingham
Bill Hall	...	Reporter #2
Rodger Barton	...	D.A. Conley
Brendan Connor	...	American Reporter
David Robinson	...	Reporter #3
Matthew Edison	...	Young Spags' Friend, Billy
Gary Krawford	...	Winston Reed
Jane Luk	...	Female Reporter
Laura DeCarteret	...	Female Reporter
Ian Alden	...	Geoghan's Murderer
Alexandra McGrath	...	Angelo's Young Daughter
Janessa Crimi	...	Angelo's Older Daughter
Maria Syrgiannis	...	Waitress
Kay Hawtrey	...	Spags' Housekeeper
Kathryn Haggis	...	Sister Martha
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Della Kirk	...	Park Walker #2
Fabia Kirk	...	Park Walker #4
Ted Ludzik	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Doug McGrath	...	Gary's Father (uncredited)
Christopher Weedon	...	Chior Boy (uncredited)
Jeffrey Weedon	...	Chior Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Dan Curtis

Writing credits (WGA)
David France		(book "Our Fathers: The Secret Life of the Catholic Church in an Age of Scandal")
Thomas Michael Donnelly		(screenplay)

Produced by
Charles Bloye	....	executive producer
Dan Curtis	....	executive producer
David France	....	co-executive producer
Gary Howsam	....	executive producer
David Kennedy	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Eric Van Haren Noman

Film Editing by
Henk Van Eeghen

Art Direction by
Michele Brady

Costume Design by
Resa McConaghy

Makeup Department
Eva Coudouloux	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tim King	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Brian Backman	....	third assistant director
Tim Singh	....	second assistant director
David Tebby	....	third assistant director
Michael Zenon	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Rory Cheyne	....	second assistant art director
Jody Lynn Clement	....	assistant art director
Mark Hunter	....	property master
Adam Urquhart	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Mark Cookson	....	sound effects editor
Bill McMillan	....	sound recordist
Bob Newlan	....	foley supervisor
Robert Nichols II	....	sound recordist
Matthew Stark	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Brock Jolliffe	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Jim L. Clark	....	lead visual effects artist: Animationwerks
Craig Kuehne	....	digital compositor
Lance Wilhoite	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Bryan Renfro	....	stunt coordinator (as Brian Renfro)

Camera and Electrical Department
Randy Brown	....	generator operator
Ciaran Copelin	....	first assistant camera
Robert Driskell	....	gaffer
Keith Murphy	....	Steadicam operator
Keith Murphy	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Dana Perry	....	key rigging grip
Joe Strazzeri	....	key grip
Ken Woroner	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Terri De Haan	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Rob Evans	....	dailies colorist
Andrea Folprecht	....	assistant editor
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer
Nina Sparks	....	post-production coordinator
Ed Twiford	....	color timer

Music Department
Chris Ledesma	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Rick Anglin	....	head driver

Other crew
Pauline Burt	....	risk manager
Claude Forest	....	insurance broker
Donna Gardon	....	script supervisor
Lisa Ghione	....	unit publicist
Pete Nilson	....	location security
Kevin Saffer	....	production coordinator
Karen Stark	....	location scout
Rod Turple	....	daily location production assistant
Kelly Wade	....	assistant: Dan Curtis
James Ireland	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dan Curtis Productions

Distributors

• Transmedia International Releasing (2005) (UK) (all media)
• Elephant Films (2009) (France) (all media)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Showtime Networks (2005) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Home Video (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ipostini  post-production facilities
• King Media Services  DVD menus and authoring

MPAA:

Rated R for language, including some graphic depictions of sexual abuse.

Runtime:

USA:130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Finland:K-11

Company:

Dan Curtis Productions

Quotes:

Mary Ryan: I didn't care about money... these were my kids!

Monsters among us

Showtime ought to be congratulated for its courage in bringing "Our Fathers" to the television screen as a film. Dan Curtis, the director, gives us a first rate account about this sad chapter of abuse to young children by Catholic priests. Those same priests were supposed to have been examples and role models for young children, but in violating that trust, these men committed crimes one never suspected them capable of doing. The book by David France, "Our Fathers: The Secret Life of the Catholic Church in an Age of Scandal", gets an amazing screen treatment by Thomas Michael Donnelly.

The books emphasizes the role of Cardinal Bernard Law in the whole affair. This sinister figure, who was able to get away with murder by resigning his post as the head of the Boston Diocese, is still not admitting his role in the cover up, even after everything is well known and documented.

Father John Geoghan, the monster priest arrested and convicted of several sexual molestation charges, is one of the most repugnant figures involved in the scandal. We watch as this man is ordained with tears in his eyes in the early 60s. Father John is seen as a holy man who is quite charming hiding behind a facade of being good to the children. Parents love him because what they see a role model for their boys to follow.

The film concentrates on Angelo DiFranco's story. Angelo is seen putting his own fist through a mirror in rage. This young man and his lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian, are instrumental into putting the lawyer in contact with Mary Ryan, a woman whose seven boys are sexually abused by father Geoghan. Mrs. Ryan is asked to keep quiet.

The other priest in the story, Father Joseph Birmingham, is also responsible for abuses to other children. Another accuser, Olan Horne, brings it to the attention of Cardinal Law, who is arrogant and indignant about the accusations. Cardinal Law makes a point to tell Olan that Christ hasn't done anything wrong, if anything, he was the one instrumental in his failure as the man who could have solved the problem, but didn't. In the end we watch Cardinal Bernard Law with tears in his eyes as he resigns. Unfortunately, much too late!

The performances are first rate. Christopher Plummer as the sinister cardinal does an excellent performance. Chris Bauer and Daniel Baldwin, two talented young actors, are seen as Olan Horne and Angelo DiFranco, respectively. Ted Danson, as the lawyer is not as effective, maybe because we don't see him as Mr. Garabedian at all. Brian Dennehy is good as Father Spagnolia. Ellen Burstyn is a great Mary Ryan, full of rage and bitter for what the evil priest did to her sons. Steve Shaw plays the evil Father Geoghan.

The tragedy that was done to innocent children by these heartless men will stay in the victim's memories forever. More than likely, these monster priests were abused themselves as children, and now they feel it's their turn to keep the practice going.